Crossroads
by wikelia
Summary: Modern AU. A woman on her way home to her brother's wedding. Tough, cold. A guy and his cat just trying to escape from everything back home. Quirky. These two don't have a smashing start. Their opinions of each other (and the entire opposite gender, actually) are not the best. But fate has a weird way of bringing two people together...Rated T for language and sexual references
1. Chapter 1

Looking at the cage gave him a headache.

Toothless was staring up at him sadly, and Hiccup put two fingers inside the cage to pet the cat, right behind the ears. What could possibly go wrong if the train just allowed passengers to keep their animals on board with them? Okay, a _lot_ could go wrong, but when Toothless was upset, _everything_ was wrong, dammit.

He carried the cage - the death cage, he called it - to where all the luggage was being placed, and winced when he saw the man working throw a bag over his shoulder without a care in the world. Toothless mewled at him.

"Don't look at me like that, bud," he protested, "Hopefully, in a year or so, I'll get a car, deal?"

This did not satisfy his cat, and he kept on mewing sadly, even when the man took it from him. "Gently, please, sir," Hiccup chided, already feeling bouts of guilt for putting his best friend through all this. The man gave him a nasty look, and muttered something under his breath, which Hiccup didn't quite catch, but the middle finger he gave with it didn't leave much to the imagination. He looked at the man's nametag. _Ryker._ Well, Ryker was unpleasant, that was for sure.

Someone bumped into him from behind, and he turned to see a blonde haired woman struggling with her suitcase. He was about to speak up, to ask if she wanted help, when, to his _and_ Ryker's surprise, she lifted it up, grunting, and handed it to him. Besides that, she had on a backpack, which she held on to.

She brushed her hair out of her face, and then snapped, " _What?"_ when she saw him gawking at her.

He frowned. That was _rude._ And uncalled for. They tended to go hand in hand. He stared at her. "Nothing. I just - nothing."

"Then stop staring," she responded haughtily, and then made her way inside. He stared at her retreating figure in disbelief. _Someone_ obviously woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning.

 _Women._

Even Ryker was a bit taken aback. Casting one last look at Toothless's pitiful face, he went inside the train.

His ticket said his seat was somewhere in the back, where exactly he didn't know, but he'd find it eventually. Trains and him did not get along, and not just because of their cruel stance on animals, but because he'd never had a good experience on one. Amtrak Corporation **(1)** was no different, if anything it was worse. He barely survived the subway and the _regular_ train back in college, but a _five-hour_ trip from Berk, which was on the outskirts of Sacramento, all the way to Los Angeles? _No._ He wanted to know why California had to be so _big,_

Hiccup jostled through people to get to his seat, stumbling more than once. F12, F13, F14...F20 came soon enough. His ticket said F20A, but then he noted confusedly, someone was already sitting there. For some reason, his stomach flip-flopped when he saw her familiar blonde hair.

It was the woman from earlier.

* * *

Astrid Hofferson had actually been having quite a good day. She'd woken up, excited, because she was _going home_ today. It had been so long since she'd seen her mother, father, brother, and dog, Stormfly. Her apartment didn't allow animals, sadly, so her faithfully fierce dog had to stay with her family. And ever since she'd moved to Berk, all she'd thought about was going to visit. Not that she didn't like Berk, she liked it a _lot,_ it was a place where she got to be independant. Astrid loved her family, but they could be the most overbearing people in the world.

Right now, her brother's wedding was coming up, and that was why she was coming back to Aurvandil to attend. It would be a two day ride, and she was contemplating getting off after one night and staying at a hotel, but rent was expensive, and it seemed she'd be spending all her time on the train.

Despite these minor setbacks, her day _had_ been going nicely until she walked up to the door of the train station, and a bunch of guys had passed by her, wolf-whistling. She'd turned around, with a snarl, and thrown a few choice words at them, which of course made no difference to them; one of them had merely said, "Ooh, feisty."

 _Men._

The encounter had put her on edge, and that was why she had snapped at the brown haired guy near the luggage so fiercely. So it had come off as a bit harsh, that didn't matter, it was one guy, it wasn't like she was going to see him again.

The young woman had been so wound up that when she reached her seat number - F20 - she forgot to check if it was F20A or F20B and had just settled down on the closest one and buried her hands in her face.

She sat there in self pity, until someone tapped her shoulder and she looked up. It was the brown-haired guy from earlier. A scowl settled on her face.

"What do _you_ want?"  
"You're sitting in my seat," he said, and she could see that he was just as annoyed with her as she was with him. "I'd like you to move, please."

The please" did not make the request polite, and she furiously whipped out her ticket to show him that the ignorant _pig_ was -

Right. Well, then. Apparently she was sitting in front of him. Well, he didn't need to be an asshole about it. Without saying a word, she got up, as dignified as ever and sat down on the seat opposite from that one. He sat down, and she swore there had been a light smirk plastered on his face. Oh, the git thought he was all that just because she had made a mistake? Well, he could go and shove his smirk up his -

"My name's Hiccup," he stated, holding out his hand to shake.

She gave him such a furious glare that he slowly retreated his hand, but he kept staring at her, and that was _uncomfortable._ She realized he was waiting for for her to introduce herself. He could go jump off a cliff, and then she'd _introduce_ herself, alright.

But his stare didn't waver, and Astrid glared right back. He leaned back, whistling some tune, that sounded a lot like Demi Lovato's Give Your Heart a Break.

She'd give his _arm_ a break. And his stupid face along with it.

"I'm only asking for your name, y'know?" he quipped, "Not asking to sleep with you or something. Trust me, I've got better things to do than hit on random stuck up girls like a creep."

" _What_ did you call me?" she hissed.

"Apparently I can't call you anything," he grinned at her, and she wanted to slap him, "You don't seem to have a name. Isn't that funny? So," he straightened up, and if possible, his grin grew wider, "What should we call you? Blondie? Judgemental? The queen, able to kill men with a single look?"

" _Astrid,"_ she growled between clenched teeth, "My _name_ is Astrid, and if you talk to me one more time, I will disassemble your molecules." She punctuated every syllable with a smack of the lips.

Even now, Astrid knew that he wasn't going to stop talking. She could only hope he wasn't getting off at the same place as she was, and figuring by how...chatty he was, she'd probably figure out soon.

 _Hiccup_ was definitely not making her day any better.

 **(1) Amtrak is "** **a partially government-funded American passenger railroad service." Basically, the train for long distance travelling in America.**

 **This idea just popped in my head today and I was like YAS. PLEASE. YAS.**

 **I obviously don't own HTTYD, our power couple, or any of the things I make references to, such as...lemme see, what** _ **did**_ **I make a reference to in this chapter? Gravity Falls, Thomas Sanders, and...er, Amtrak.**

I've got finals coming in the next two weeks I should not be writing about these two dorks right now dammit.


	2. Chapter 2

After a while, Astrid was ready to throw herself off the train. Or better yet, throw _Hiccup_ off the train, because although he had not _said_ anything for the past five hours, he _had_ whistled. And he wouldn't _stop_ whistling. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't keep whistling old songs, Beatles and Michael Jackson. If he had to _hum,_ then couldn't he hum something recent? Taylor Swift, maybe? One Direction?

But _no._

Oh, she'd tried tuning him out. Plugging her headphones in her ears had worked for the past two hours; even he had gone on his phone. But music blaring in your ear gave you a headache after a while, and when the songs became repetitive, they became boring too.

Astrid suspected he was trying to drive her mad. He would also drum his fingers on his knees, and tap his foot along with the music. At one point, he even sang the lyrics softly. She was ready to rip _stomach spasm's_ mushroom hair apart, bit by bit. Her fists clenched every time he began something new. It was too much, and she decided to speak up.

"Hey, Hiccup?"

He looked up, seemingly surprise that she had even spoke to him, much less said his name. His cheeks colored slightly, and she noted the freckles on his face. "Yeah?"

"Shut the hell up."

Immediately, Hiccup took on an offensive face, and protested almost immediately. "I haven't _said_ anything!" he protested, "What's your problem anyway?"

She crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, scowling. " _My_ problem? Are you _serious_? You haven't stopped your damn singing once! And don't get me started on how you keep looking at me like a stalker."

"There's nothing else to look at!" he argued back, "You're right _in_ _front_ of me! What else am I supposed to look at? And also," he took a deep breath before continuing on with his rebuttal. "I did stop when I was eating that granola bar."

" _Granola bar?"_ She threw her hands in the air, before speaking, in a slightly hysterical voice, "Oh, thank God for the _granola bar!_ What a relieving _five fucking minutes!"_

He glared at her, and she glared right back, because "I did stop when I was eating that granola bar" was the most pathetic excuse she had ever heard in all her life, and she would _not_ apologize for her sarcasm. Hiccup sighed and stared down for a few moments before looking up and seeing that she was still glaring at him. He gaped at her.

"You have _got_ to be the most cold person I've ever met."

There was no response to this, not because she couldn't think of one, but because a voice blared through the train at an annoyingly loud volume and cut off her remark (but it had been one of her best yet).

" _We will be arriving at the Amtrak station in Las Vegas in one minute. Thank you for choosing Amtrak."_

Hiccup grinned lazily at her, before saluting her and saying, "That's it, Miss Priss. You'll never see me again. Nice travelling with you. Actually," he refined, with a smirk settling in his features, "it wasn't. It was an actual nightmare, and, um, oh yes. You really shouldn't think you're all that, even though you have no respect for the people around you. You're rude, _really_ rude, and, just like all girls, you think you're allowed to walk all over people, which is actually considered a _bad_ trait, Amelia."

And before she could say anything, before she could correct him on her name, yell at him because _who the hell did he think he was?,_ before _anything,_ he saluted her again, and walked away, leaving her gaping.

* * *

It was a relief to see Toothless in a few minutes after, what seemed forever, only seeing scowling. Even if his cat was pretty much going on strike for the next couple of year. "C'mon, bud. Let me just get my - here it is - suitcase, and now we can -"

A finger tapped him sharply from behind, and Hiccup turned around to see the girl from the train, Astrid. He'd known what her name was, he'd just wanted to make her mad. Which had worked, and, in hindsight, he probably shouldn't have done.

The glare she was giving him now was _scary,_ and for a second he considered making a run for it, but then deciding that _might_ look cowardly, he stayed put.

"First off, loser," she began, and he knew he was in for it, "My name is _Astrid,_ and you should know, since you practically begged for it. Secondly, I _do_ respect people, and - _don't interrupt -"_ she practically hissed at him, even though he was going to say something she probably wanted to hear, "And my friends and family all agree that I'm a generally nice person, so if I get pissed with you -"

"Er, Astrid?"

"Don't interrupt!" she all but screeched. "If I'm pissed at you, it means you probably deserved it. So now, I'd like to know, why are you such an _asshole?"_

Hiccup was honestly taken aback at how ignorant girls could be. _He_ was an asshole? She could've won the Nicest Stranger of the Year Award with that attitude. For a second, he forgot what he wanted to tell her, got fired up, and yelled back; there were people looking at them now. "Oh, your friends say that, do they? Well, they're either stupid, delusional, or both -"

"Don't you _dare_ insult -"

"Then _shut up!"_

Hiccup swore he heard "cute" "married", and "lovers spat" somewhere, and that did nothing to improve his rage. _He_ did not get fired up easily, so it said loads that he had only spent a few hours with this girl, and she had already gotten under his skin in such a way.

And then they both heard a loud whir.

Astrid whipped around with wide eyes, to see the train pulling away, and shrieking in horror, began to run after it. Hiccup decided this was a good time to _walk. Away. Quickly._

It wasn't his fault, but from what he knew about Astrid, which wasn't much, he knew she had a temper. So, with Toothless hissing at the cage rattling with him inside, Hiccup tried to make his way out.

Key word: tried.

All of a sudden, his shoulder was grabbed, and he was roughly turned around to face a fuming blonde, who raised her index finger at him. He smiled weakly.

"And we meet again?"

" _This."_ She pointed to the empty track, her face getting redder by the second. "This is _all your fault."_

And then Hiccup made quite a stupid decision. He laughed, laughed right in her face. It was a small laugh. A chuckle. But he could have been rolling on the floor with tears in his eyes with the way she was looking at him. He averted his eyes and hastily turned the laugh into a cough, which he had no real reason to, she had already seen him.

Astrid exploded. "I missed my train because of you! You idiot, I _missed my train!_ And I paid _good money_ for that! Maybe if you hadn't decided to whistle stupid Beatles songs throughout the whole ride, I'd be on it, nice and simple! But _no!"_ She took a deep breath, still very much riled up. "And now - _now_ \- you have...the nerve...to _laugh at me!"_

His mouth fell open again at this horrible accusation. " _How_ is this my fault, Astrid?" He didn't know why he kept addressing her by her name, it just kept rolling off the tongue. "I didn't ask you to come scolding me, you know! Maybe if you were responsible and mature enough to - oh, I don't know - _leave it alone,_ then you'd be on the train right now!"

She didn't seem to hear him. And then he was facing her back again, and she was groaning as she seemed to remember something else.

"My luggage! Oh gosh, my luggage is gone!"

"You can get it back," Hiccup said, annoyed that she had completely ignored his rant; she seemed far too used to walking all over people. She turned on him again, and then seemed to make a private decision before crossing her arms and giving him a cold glare.

"You're going to help me."

"Sorry?" He hadn't heard right, surely. She couldn't expect to be so rude, blame him for her own problems, and then expect him to help her.

"You're going to help me," she said again, "This is your fault, so you're going to take me home to Aurvandil."

" _Aurvandil?_ No way _._ Sorry, get a taxi, or a few bus rides, or wait for the next train. I'm sorry to hear what happened, but Aurvandil is like two days from here! By _train!"_

"I don't have any money," she responded, her cheeks slightly coloring, "I don't have enough to afford any of these things. Only a bit of train food, and that's it."

Hiccup certainly had money. Being the son of _Stoick and Valka Haddock_ did that. But was he actually going to help this girl? He _did_ feel sorry for what happened, although it was in no way his fault. He looked down at Toothless, who looked back up, and Hiccup grimaced at him. Looked like it wasn't going to be just the two of them.

"Alright," he began, looking up at her, "I'll take you. But you need to _chill out."_

"I'll 'chill out' when I want to," she said haughtily, and started making her way towards the exit, not even looking back to see if he was following.

Hiccup swore under his breath. " _I made the wrong choice, bud."_

 **I think it's a lot of fun to write Hiccup when I have to write Astrid, and then when I have to write her, I'm in the mood to write Hiccup. Dammit.**

 **Whelp. Hope you enjoyed (I am** ** _so_** **hungry, fasting month has begun, so forgive me if this chapter and the following ones aren't the best).**


	3. Chapter 3

Silence fell as the two of them walked across the street. Astrid had never been to Las Vegas, but there were so...many...people.

She feared she would get lost somehow.

Hiccup, walking besides her in the street, was not saying a word. His jaw was set, and his grip on his cage was tightened. Astrid viewed the black cat. It hissed at her, and she thought she saw Hiccup smirk but wasn't sure.

They had walked out so hastily (mostly due to herself) that she hadn't even asked where they were going. A bus? Did he have a car here? Did he _live_ here and had just been _visiting_ Berk? Oh gosh, what if he was taking her to his _house?_ What if she had just asked a rapist to help her? Never mind the fact that she could probably beat him up if she wanted to. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

"So," Astrid asked casually, falling into step with him, "Where are we going?"

"Aurvandil," Hiccup responded, eyes lighting up in amusement as he glanced at her. His eyes were striking, there was no denying that. She could bet he'd hypnotized quite a few girls with those eyes. Not her, of course.

"No shit, Sherlock," she said, rolling her eyes, "How are we getting there? By train?"

"God, no." He shook his head, shuddering. "I hate trains."

"You were just on one."

"No shit, Sherlock." He mocked her, doing the little head jerk she had done. "Only because it was the fastest way for me to get here. After five hours, there is no _way_ I'm going back in one."

Silence fell again for a few seconds (well, between _them,_ the people around them were as loud as ever) before Astrid realized he hadn't answered her question. " _Well?"_

"Well, what?"

"Where are we going, Sherlock?" She glared at him stiffly, arms crossed.

"I'm more like Watson," he quipped, "I mean, I guess I'm _clever,_ but more of a reactor."

"And _I,"_ she responded, "don't really _care."_

Hiccup scowled at her tone, and she gave him a defensive look, although much less confident than on the train. He was her escort, he could just leave her here, and it wasn't a good idea to piss him off _too_ much.

"We're going to a hotel," he finally answered, "About three blocks down. Get our rest for the night, and then go on." The cat cooed, and he chuckled. "Yeah, bud, it allows cats. Don't worry."

Astrid missed Stormfly. Seeing him with his cat gave her a pang that had nothing to do with the nachos she'd eaten on the train. She wanted to see her border collie, wanted to see her wagging her tail and turning over and doing tricks and showing off. She was definitely beautiful, but she was also tough. And that was why it was never a good idea to underestimate Astrid - Stormfly - both of them.

"How many rooms are you going to get?"

"Just the one," he said, looking at her as though she was crazy, "What, you thought you were gonna get your own room? No way, Sherlock. Think again."

"I _didn't_ think that," she responded back. That was the truth; she hadn't thought that, only hoped for it. Who would want to sleep in a bedroom with a random stranger, anyway? Well, lots of stupid people, perhaps, but certainly not her. The rapist fears came back.

Hiccup didn't seem like a bad person, per se, but he was a _guy,_ and who knew what he wouldn't do? She'd be sleeping in the same room, and that only left so much to the imagination.

Astrid tried to calm down, and reminded herself that _she_ had asked for _his_ help, not the other way around, and she couldn't back out now.

Hiccup looked back at her, for she was lagging behind, and laughed. "You women are all the same, you know that?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, affronted.

He waved his hand. "Oh, you know. Thinking too much, understanding very little."

Her voice raised an octave. " _Excuse me?"_

"You heard me. Your heart says one thing, and you do something totally different."

"Let's change that, shall we?" Astrid forced a smile on her face. "My heart says to punch you. Let me listen to it."

"Oh, and you think you're all so tough _."_ The disdain in Hiccup's voice was obvious. "Your feelings are all mixed up, but instead of straightening those out, you straighten your _hair."_

"Well, what about _you?"_ she cried, after self-consciously looking up at her hair; she'd never had it straightened, "I mean, if we're so bad, why do you chase after us, then? Don't answer that, I'll _tell_ you why. Because we're the ones who turn you from an animal to a human, and we get no appreciation for it. Instead, we get 'Oh, I didn't catch your name.'" She sat down on a bench, tired from walking now. "'Can I...buy you a drink?', 'Your parents aren't home? Great, let me come over'. Ugh, it makes me sick."

He sat down next to her, setting the cage down gently. "We're not all like that."

"And we don't all care about our hair," she said, turning to look at him seriously.

"Alright," he conceded, putting his hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry, then. But you can't deny that some girls _are_ like that."

"And _you_ can't deny that some guys are egotistical, bigheaded, jerks."

He sighed. "No, I guess I can't. My cousin is like that."

"Oh, really?" She quirked an eye. "He's a flirt?"

Hiccup chuckled again. "Like you wouldn't believe." He got up, picking up the cage. "Can we go, then?"

She looked up at him and nodded, blinding her eyes from the glaring sun. As he walked ahead, Astrid felt something had just changed, but she wasn't exactly sure what, only that he wasn't a rapist for sure.

Well, that had been a ridiculous notion anyway.

 **Just Asty's POV for this chapter! But next one will be all Hiccup, don't you fret :)  
Everyone's reviews are all so nice ahhh I love you guys  
(Also, fasting day 2. I hereby declare this the Hunger Games)**


	4. Chapter 4

**To Yo (guest): I'm sorry that you were so lazy you didn't want to read the whole** _ **summary.**_ **I'd like to point out that you only had to read up to "cat" and it should have been obvious that this is a modern AU seeing as Hiccup does not have a cat in canon. But at any rate, commenting on a story just to tell me to change the summary? Dude, isn't** _ **that**_ **too much work for you?**

 **To** **Aiacco: Oh, don't worry, that is covered in this chapter :)**

The one time Hiccup had been to Las Vegas he'd thrown up on his very first day after eating a triple chocolate fudge. That hadn't been his best moment, but he _had_ been eight, and the rest of the trip had been amazing. And he'd remembered that the hotel they'd stayed in was top-notch. So Hiccup had pestered his dad into telling him where they had stayed that week, and even though Stoick hadn't wanted him to go alone, he eventually gave in. The hotel was grand, like everything in Las Vegas.

When they stepped in to the building, he saw Astrid's mouth fall open and her eyes widened. By the way she had said she didn't have any money, he guessed her family account wasn't filled to the brim with money like his was; not to say that she was _poor,_ just that she wasn't _rich._ And frankly, he didn't really care, but it was funny to see her so in awe by the hotel.

He went to the front table, and leaned on it, putting his arms up. A man who was sitting at the computer got up and smiled politely at the three of them. "May I help you?"

"I have a reservation," Hiccup said, tilting his head to see the signs. "I was planning on paying now."

"Name?"

"Henry Horrendous Haddock the Third."

He heard Astrid's sharp intake of breath. Oh, yeah, he hadn't told her his last name yet, and _Haddock_ wasn't exactly a very common name. The man broke his thoughts as he spoke. "Ah yes, Haddock _._ I see, er...two weeks, correct?"

He sighed. "Can we change that to just tonight?"

The man looked up, the surprise evident on his face. "One night _only?"_ He seemed insulted.

Hiccup grimaced, taking a quick look at Astrid, who was watching, biting her lip. He turned back to the man and sighed. "My plans have changed. I'm only staying the night." He checked his phone quickly. 7:00. They'd get dinner and then _crash._

The man nodded hesitantly and began making the necessary changes, stopping only to ask him for his credit card. As they waited, Astrid hissed at him, " _Haddock?"_

He smiled sheepishly at her. "Yeah. I forgot to mention that."

"No _shit,_ Sher - Watson."

"Hey, you remembered!" The man gave him back his credit card and then he picked up his suitcase and Astrid's backpack, much to her protest.

"Give that over." She lunged for it, and Hiccup, surprised, yelped, and dropped it. She smirked victoriously and swung it up back on her shoulders. The man at the counter smiled.

"Newlyweds, I presume?" he asked, as he watched their short squabble.

Both Astrid and Hiccup stopped what they were doing, turned around to face him, and shouted, " _No!"_ as though he had done them a horrible wrong. His eyes widened, and he hastily told them it was his break before he scampered.

"I think we scared him," Astrid observed dryly. He had the urge to say, "No shit, Sherlock," again, but there was a problem with her statement...

" _We_?" Hiccup asked, unbelieving. " _You_ lunged at me like a madman."

She began walking towards the elevator. " _You_ shouldn't touch my stuff."

Hiccup groaned and then picked up Toothless's cage. They made their way up to the elevator, up to the third floor, and into the room. Hiccup knew it had two beds (single beds were not a thing in this part of Vegas) but he was still relieved to see them _there._ Heaven forbid that they have a I-get-the-sofa-you-get-the-bed argument.

Astrid flopped onto one one of the beds and let her bag drop next to her."So...Haddock, huh? As in, Stoick and -"

"And Valka, yeah," he grumbled, going down on one knee to _finally_ open that stupid cage. Toothless pranced out, immediately going into his owner's arms, and purring, probably asking for a scratching. Hiccup complied. "Don't you need to call the train station? Or home? They can pick up your stuff for you."

"I'll call the train station later." She waved her hand, as though swatting a fly. "But I'm not calling home. You might not know, seeing as you're some sort of _prince."_ Her tone was slightly bitter, although mostly teasing. "But losing your luggage is embarrassing, and my family is already swarmed with wedding preparations. So before I actually go to my house, I'll just pick up my suitcase, and then it never happened."

"Who's getting married?" Hiccup asked, sitting down on the bed, Toothless in his lap.

"My brother." She turned to face him. "Marrying his two year girlfriend."

"Is she nice?" Hiccup didn't know what to say, really, it wasn't like he knew Astrid well.

Astrid shrugged. "From what I've seen, she's nice enough. But enough about that…" He knew what was coming next. "Don't you like your home life? Why are you so...I don't know - I brought it up and suddenly you're all grumpy."

He looked up. "Something you would know all about?"

She threw a pillow at his face.

Toothless hissed as the pillow hit, and even though Hiccup started laughing, he jumped off the bed and gave Astrid the most menacing look he could muster. Astrid raised an eye.

"What's with him?"

"He's my best friend," Hiccup answered with a small smile; it was always easier to talk about Toothless than himself. "And, well, y'know, he gets protective."  
"You're telling me. He looks like he wants to rip my hair off." Astrid and Toothless were now engaged in a staring contest and Hiccup wasn't quite sure who the victor would be.

"So, you want lunch - dinner, I guess. You want dinner?" He got off the bed, stumbling a bit, and looked down at his prosthetic, which his jeans were covering, and which Astrid hadn't noticed yet. Surprising, since she'd spent her train ride glaring at him.

"Yeah, sure," Astrid responded, not breaking her eye contact with his cat. Hiccup shook his head and left the room, finally alone to collect his thoughts. That was why he didn't just order from their room. He leaned against a wall, breathing deeply.

He was helping a stranger. She'd yelled at him, insulted him, heck, _Toothless_ didn't like her. _Why_ was he helping her?

The bitter thoughts that he'd been having came back right now. _Mom. Dad._ Dealing with them back home. Well, he'd wanted a distraction, and he'd gotten it all right. Astrid was a _hell_ of a distraction. And by that he meant that she was...demanding and stubborn, not that her deep blue irises were the most pretty things he had ever seen. _No._ He couldn't think that. He'd only known her for a few hours, and she drove his mind crazy. Not because her hair swooshed so _nicely,_ but because she was _annoying._ Yeah, that was it.

Hiccup went down to the dinner room, took a few things at random, and then came back. Was that _laughter?  
_ He came into the room, staring in disbelief. Astrid was leaning back on the bed, and Toothless was on her lap, and she was scratching him under the neck, and - what had happened?

"Did I miss something?"

Astrid looked up. "We bonded."

"Over what?"

"Our hatred for you."

"You guys aren't getting dinner."

 **Hey, guys, do you think I write Hiccup better or Astrid? Cause I love both dorks, but I wanna know.**


	5. Chapter 5

**THE REVIEWS ARE SO NICE I CAN'T**

* * *

After they ate, there was silence. Toothless had curled up on Hiccup's bed, snoozing, and frankly, the boy was surprised he wasn't on _Astrid's_ bed, seeing as how they were now best friends or something. He didn't sleep yet, and neither did she. She kept making calls, probably the station to save her stuff for her. Hiccup still believed it was _her_ fault completely that she missed the train, but wisely chose to remain silent.

When Astrid was done, she lied down on her bed, and closed her eyes. He glanced at her, before asking hesitantly, "So, is everything sorted out?"

"Yeah," she answered softly, "everything's waiting there."

"Oh, okay."

What was he to say? They weren't _friends._ Hiccup could only sit there, fiddling his fingers awkwardly, wishing that _she_ would start a conversation, because this was awkward. It was awkward to be alone with someone and _not_ talk to them. What part of that didn't Astrid understand?

"So, hey, uh, what's your last name?"

Her blue eyes flew open, and she turned to face him on the bed. "Hofferson. Astrid Hofferson."

"Oh, cool." When would this horrid awkwardness go away? "You already know my name."

"Yeah," she nodded, and then went on, "I'm curious, though. You know I'm going to my brother's wedding. What are you doing here, in Vegas?"

"Family stuff," he answered abruptly. Alright. Conversation about anything but this, please. "It's complicated."

"Your parents own _Haddock Inc.._ They own one of the best businesses in the country. Is it rich people problems?" she asked, raising an eye.

"If you want to call it that," he breathed, and lied down, facing her the same way she was facing him. "But it's not that serious. I just wanted some time alone. Well, me and Toothless."

She corrected him. "Toothless and _I."_

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

Astrid laughed, actually _laughed,_ a genuine one. Her lips flitted upwards and he couldn't help but think she should laugh more often. "My friends say I'm a grammar nazi."

"Are you?" he asked curiously, intent on getting to know her better. If he was going to travel with her, he might as well know what she was like. Besides being a naturally grumpy person.

"I guess so. Although it's mostly for writing." She flexed back and Hiccup quickly averted his eyes. "Not for speaking." Safe again.

He began stroking his cat's fur gently, hearing him purr in his sleep was satisfying. The _sound_ was satisfying. It was a cool sound. "You just corrected me though."

"That was a joke."

"You can do that?"

"Don't make me hit you."

He feigned hurt and put a hand on his chest. "I thought we were _besties_ now, Hofferson!"

"No luck, Watson," she answered with mock pity, "Although I'm gonna steal Toothless from you, he's so sweet. Why can't he rub off on you?"

"Rub off on me? Please, I am the manliest -"

"Girl I will ever meet. Yeah."

"I am _not_ a girl!" he protested. "What part of me says girl?"  
She turned around, so he was now staring at her back. "You have a cat."

"What, guys can't have cats?"  
"They can," came her muffled voice, "in fact, I don't even know why I said that. I'm sleepy. Go to sleep. Stop bugging me."

"No."

A pillow hit his face once more.

* * *

Astrid always woke up early. She got up, brushed her teeth, changed -

 _Changed._

One needed clothes to change, and all _her_ clothes were in some train. Her eyes raked over Hiccup's sleeping form, and she sighed. Toothless was very close to Hiccup's face, the two of them snoozing together for all they were worth. But after brushing her teeth, what was she to do? She couldn't eat breakfast, there was none. She couldn't change, she didn't have any clothes. And it _was_ 9:00. Usually she woke up at 6. But last night had been exhausting, sleeping in the same room as a stranger and whatnot.

She walked over to Hiccup's bed, ignoring the way his shirt was lifted up ever so slightly and the freckles on his stomach. There were one, two, three, four - _no._ She was _ignoring_ that. She bent over and shook him slightly. "Hiccup? Hiccup, wake up."

"Five more minutes," he mumbled, and she was surprised that he had woken up so quickly. She shook her head.

"I'm not your mom, and this isn't waking up for middle school, so get up before I _kick you."_

" _Astrid,"_ he whined. Her stomach flitted, her name rolled very pleasantly off his - what was she _doing?_ She hated him less than twenty four hours ago! "I know you're not my mom, she didn't wake me up for middle school anyway."

"You're a light sleeper," she quipped. Toothless woke up slowly, paws outstretched in the air, and his fur brushed against Hiccup's face, and then Astrid heard the boy _giggle._ "Also, I stand by what I said yesterday. You are _such_ a girl."  
"Am not." He blearily sat up and when she heard the light _clank_ on the floor, she looked down and realized:

"You have a prosthetic!"

" _Do_ I?" He looked down and she rolled her eyes. "Oh my _god,_ Astrid. I _did not know that._ I am _so glad_ you told me because what would I have _done_ if I just carried on thinking I had both my legs? You're a _lifesaver,_ Sherlock." He got up and shook her hand. "Thank you for this _amazing_ discovery!"

"Ok, you're overdoing it now."

"Another obvious statement."

Astrid kicked him in his good leg and he yelped, and began hopping in place before falling back onto the bed. Toothless pawed his face. Hiccup scowled at him.

"So…" she began, feeling slightly awkward, "how did you lose your leg?"

"Shooting practice gone wrong," he mumbled, and when Astrid's eyes widened, he laughed. "Kidding. Car accident." He sat up in bed, and ruffled his hair, which Astrid saw no reason for him to do, it was already quite unruly. A mop of brown strings, and it didn't matter that it made him attractive, really, because she wasn't attracted to him. "Hey, Sherlock, I'm gonna change quickly, we can grab a few donuts, and then we'll be on our way, alright?"

"Alright." She hesitated, before outstretching a hand for him to take.

He glanced up at her weirdly, but took it and let himself get hauled up. He made his way to the bathroom, and when he was done freshening up, he asked her, "Aren't you gonna change - oh _right."_ He winced apologetically.

"Tactless."

"Says Sherlock."

"Touche."

 **I'm thinking bonding bonding bonding next chapter, how about you guys?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, guys, I'll put Modern AU in the summary, but dear** _ **Thor.**_ **Really? You're saying reading the few sentences in a** _ **summary**_ **is time consuming, and then decide to waste your time further by commenting? Just let it be! *breaths***

Astrid had practically _grown up_ on donuts, but they were the kind that her mom made, which she considered the good kind. Homemade donuts. She made them too, but for some reason everyone would skip dessert those days. Well, it was their loss. Her donuts were great. And she refused to eat any besides the Hofferson family special donuts.

Which was why, on the bus that they had boarded, her and Hiccup were exchanged in yet another bickering session.

"You have to at least _try_ them!"

"Nope, who knows what kind of poisonous stuff they put in there?"

"It's _Dunkin Donuts,_ Astrid."

"Fine!" She crossed her arms, and held out her hand. Hiccup grinned and gave her the Boston Creme, which he said was a classic. This boy was all about the classics. It was annoying. "I'll try it, you little…"

"Insert insult here?" he offered.

"Insert my fist in your face?" she responded sweetly.

"Got it."

She took a bite of the chocolate covered thing, and immediately, she gagged. The donut was too sweet, too sugary, too...chocolatey. It was disgusting, and after one bite, she shoved it back in his hands.

Their close position was a little uncomfortable, to be honest. The bus was too crowded, so they couldn't sit on opposite seats, they were stuck together. Toothless was in his cage, which was on Hiccup's lap. He kept giving both of them sad looks that clearly implied he did not like being caged up like this, and that he blamed them. Astrid could see where he was coming from, though.

Their hands kept brushing by accident. After the first fifteen times, Astrid planted her hands firmly on her knees and didn't move them anymore. This was getting a bit overwhelming.

"Shit."

She turned to him. He had his phone out, and he was biting his lip. Ignoring how attractive that was, she asked quickly, "What's wrong?"

He looked slightly guilty. "Ah, ten missed calls from dad."

Astrid snorted. That was terrifying, not that she knew what it felt like. When her parents called, she answered. There was no way she'd even just miss a call from her family.

"I'll call him later," Hiccup decided, "hopefully, he won't be _too_ mad."

"After ten missed calls? You're dead."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence, Hofferson."

"I'll be here all week."

She smiled cheekily at him, and he smiled back, despite everything. She took out a piece of gum, gave him one, and then asked, "So, your dad wants you to take over the business or something?" She blew a bubble that popped with a satisfying _crack._

"Nah, actually, it's my mom." He blew a larger bubble than she had and she scowled, taking it as a personal challenge.

"What about her?"

"We had a fight," he remarked casually. She blew a small, short bubble. Agh, the stupid thing popped too quickly. He blew another big one.

"What about?" She realized that she had been way too absorbed in the little gum blowing competition to see that her question was a tad intruding. "I mean, not to pry, just curious."

Hiccup hesitated. "Well, I mean, it's not like we're gonna see each other again after I drop you home…" He sounded sad. Well, Astrid supposed they had become...friends? No, frenemies was more like it. "My mom travels a lot, she does business in other states, even other countries."

"And?" she probed, curious, the gum challenge forgotten.

He waved his hand animatedly; only now did she realize that he spoke with his hands all the time. Waving, exaggerating. "She wants me to start coming with her. And...and, well, I don't want to. I've got a _life_ on Berk!"

"Youch," Astrid muttered sympathetically, "so that's why you were in Vegas? To get away from your mom?"

"It sounds bad when you say it like that."

"So how should I say it?"

"I don't know...I love my mom, don't get me wrong, and we're a lot alike. And my dad's okay with this too. But I think I'm more like him than I thought I was. Home guy. Family person. Y'know?"

"Yeah. I get it." She shrugged, because she actually _didn't_ get it. "But if you're such a family person, why'd you leave?"

"I needed to. I needed some time alone. Just for a little while, though. I'm going to go back to Berk."

She was about to ask another question when he cut her off. "Enough about me. If your whole family is in Aurvandil, why are you in Berk?"

"Oh. Well, ahem…" This wasn't a topic she liked to bring up, and he _was_ a stranger, but for some odd reason, she didn't think he would judge her. And he _did_ tell her his life story, now it was her turn. "I...I love my family. They're just...a little too much." She looked up at him, and her heart warmed at the fact that he wasn't looking down, or at his phone, no, he was gazing at her, patiently waiting for her to go on. Her voice got stuck in her throat. "So...as soon as I graduated, I moved. Life's not great. I'm a waitress, yeah, but I'm also studying in a Computer Science program that I _do_ enjoy. And I have a roommate, Ruffnut, she's pretty cool."

"Wow. That actually seems kind of cool." He rested his head back and stared wistfully at the top of the bus.

"Running away?"

Hiccup laughed. "Being free. Living the life."

He was a Haddock. If anyone was "living the life", it was him. But after he had just told her about that predicament, it was clear that he wasn't in the best spot at home.

"I guess it is pretty cool."

Their eyes met. His vividly bright green eyes bore into her plain blue ones, and they both stared at each other, not saying a word. There was chatter all around the bus but for a moment it was forgotten as the young man and woman gazed at each other with a newfound respect and understanding.

Toothless broke the moment by rattling against his cage, _hard,_ and Hiccup and Astrid snapped out of their trance. Astrid's face was burning and she saw a light tint of red on his face too as he looked the other way.

She looked out the window. It was a good thing that happened. It had seemed like they were having one of those _moments_ you saw in TV. And she was certainly not having romantic feelings for _Hiccup._

But maybe it wouldn't be a stretch to call him a friend now.


	7. Chapter 7

**LET ME SHARE THIS WHOLE NEW WORLD WITH YOUUUU**

 **I started off my day by watching Cinderella 3 (A Twist in Time) and now I'm listening to all the old Disney songs and feeling really nostalgic. Now it's Kiss the Girl…**

* * *

They boarded many buses after that - just getting off the fifth one now. Hiccup knew that they couldn't take another one - it was finally time to take a train. They could get on one now and get there by early morning. He turned to Astrid.

"Do you wanna stop? Rest at another hotel?"

"Oh, sure, flaunt your wealth." She yawned into her hand, eyes lidded. A lot of her hair had come loose out of the tight braid she kept it in, and she had probably been too tired to put it back in. He thought she looked pretty like that, though. "I don't wanna stop, I - I...where's our next bus? How far?" She yawned again.

"No more buses," he sighed, "we're gonna board a train." He began walking. She walked forward, stumbling slightly. Toothless was fast asleep in his cage. It went _pit-pat_ against Hiccup's knee as he walked. In his other hand was his suitcase.

Astrid ran her hand through her hair, removing her rubber band and effectively letting all her hair loose. "How far is it?"

He did his best not to gape at her. _Look forward._ "Like, right here."

They went down the subway, and Hiccup bought the tickets. This was the only real spending he'd had to do besides the train. Buses were cheap enough that even Astrid could pay for them. And she had, even though he protested. He had never met someone quite as stubborn as her, besides himself, of course.

The train was absolutely quiet. There were very few people. In fact, they had an entire car to themselves. This particular subway was not at all busy during this time at night. Hiccup checked his phone. 11:30.

Astrid flopped right down next to him and she leaned back, head in hand.

"You can sleep," he offered, "you look sleepy."

"No shi-" She yawned, and Hiccup smirked. "No shit, Watson. Oh, don't even say anything."

"Wasn't going to, milady."

She raised her head to look at him with an amused expression. " _Milady?"_

He shrugged. "I like the classics."

"I noticed, Beatles boy."

"I'm surprised you even know who they are," he teased, "considering they're not popular _today."_

"Of course they are, babe, just not modern."

" _Babe?"_

"Well, yeah," she said, feigning surprise, "two can play at the nickname game."

"If I didn't know better," he quipped, leaning in slightly, "I'd say you were flirting."

She grinned blearily, and Hiccup felt his stomach flip at the sight. She leaned in the same time he did. "I'd say you were right, but I'd also say you started it, with your _milady-ing."_

He chuckled nervously. She was too close for him to think very properly. "Well, y-you didn't protest."

"No, I didn't."

Her lips were tantalizingly close to his, and he could see every eyelash highlighting those crystal blue eyes of hers. His own eyes closed as they both simultaneously got closer; almost touching, almost kissing -

The train started.

Astrid fell forward with a yelp on his chest, and his arms flew out to keep her from falling to the floor.

They had just been about to - that was _wrong._ Astrid was clearly sleepy, and this was _taking advantage_ of her, something he refused to do. Her cheeks were painted with red, and he probably wasn't any better. "Ah - you should probably sleep."

"Yeah." She shook her head, and then turned the other way, resting her head back.

It was night, and she was sleepy. That was the only reason for their almost kiss. Someone like _her_ would not go for someone like _him._ That was ridiculous.

* * *

"-cup. Hiccup!"

His eyes opened and immediately hissed as the light of the train hit him. Astrid was shaking his shoulder gently. "M'what? Let me sleep."

"We'll be there in five minutes."

He forced his eyes open again and sat up. It took a second for everything to come back. "Aurvandil?"

"Where else?" She smiled before turning serious. "Alright. We have to get my stuff. Both the Amtrak and my house aren't very far from here. Are you ready to go?"

"Do you always get up this early?" He yawned, and stretched his arms before running a hand through his hair, further tousling his hair. A quick glance confirmed she had tied her hair up again.

Astrid bit her lip, not answering his question. "Hey, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Yeah?" He sat up straight now, giving her his full attention. Toothless, he noted, was still fast asleep.

"Would you like to…I mean, you don't _have_ to…" She brushed her bangs out of her face, which he noted as a nervous tick. "Would you like to maybe _not_ part ways just yet?"

He stared at her, and hurriedly she went on. "I'm just saying that, well, I _did_ mess up your vacation plans and - I'm - I'm sor-ry."

This was hard for her to say, and he could tell interrupting wouldn't help her any, so he stayed silent.

"I'm asking you to…" She sighed. "I'm asking if you wanna stay for the wedding."

" _Stay?"_ he squeaked, very surprised. "For your brother's wedding?"

"No, Watson, for some other random wedding. _Yes._ I just - you went all this way for me, and I haven't given you anything in return yet, so...stay for the wedding. There's no way you're going back after not even staying for a few days."

"Won't your parents be upset?" he asked quietly, wanting to accept the offer but finding it hard to do so without any qualms.

"They'll be thrilled."

"Alright then, Watson."

"Alright then, Sherlock."

He smiled genuinely at her, and she smiled back. "Oh, and my family _can_ be kinda rowdy."

"How rowdy?"

"You ever stand in front of a really loud horn?"

"Oh God."


	8. Chapter 8

Getting the luggage was a hassle, with the man in charge of the luggage not giving anything to them and Astrid losing her temper and screaming at him. Eventually, the man who had taken her call earlier came out, murmuring to Hiccup that his girlfriend really had anger management problems. "His girlfriend" heard and then turned on the man, and then Hiccup dragged her out before someone called the police.

She was tense.

She was tense, and it was weird. Because the reason for her mood seemed to be that her family was going to meet Hiccup. Why was she so tense about _that?_ It didn't matter what they thought of him, because he was just a friend that she'd met on the train.

Not to mention she had a sneaking suspicion that they would love him.

When they finally walked over to their house, she saw Hiccup gape.

" _This_ is your house?"

She glanced up at it. Nothing seemed wrong about it; what was he so surprised about?

" _Y-e-e-s?"_ she answered uncertainly. "Is there something wrong with it?"

He turned to her, eyes disbelieving. "I thought you were _poor!"_

Her house was quite impressive. Certainly not a mansion or anything, but it was big. It was coated with white paint, and while not very tall (two floors), it was wide.

"Poor? Why the hell would you think that?"

"You...you work as a waitress!"

She snorted. _Someone_ was judgemental. "I barely take any money from my parents because I think that's part of the whole independent deal."

"Y'know," he quipped, sighing tiredly, "you could have just asked for them to get you another train to here from Vegas."

"They were busy. They have the wedding. Come on."

The truth was Astrid didn't want to bring that up. She _had_ been blinded by rage when she'd told Hiccup to bring her here, and she _could_ have called her parents, but, well...it was the same deal like it was with the luggage. It was a blow her pride wasn't willing to take.

She rung the doorbell as Hiccup looked around. "Garden out back?"

"Yeah. Pretty nice, except when the mosquitoes are out. I _hate_ mosquitoes."

He snorted. "Anyone you know who _likes -"_ He was cut off by the door opening.

Astrid's mother stood there, a wide smile on her face. She was a _very_ muscular woman, who could strangle a snake with her bare hands. Astrid knew because she'd seen her do it on a camping trip. It was an impressive feat.

"Astrid!" Her mother embraced her, arms outstretched, crushing her. "Oh my goodness, welcome back! Oh, my sweet, sweet, girl, I've missed you so much!"

She heard Hiccup snort, and then her mother turned to him while Astrid scowled. She _could_ be sweet, just...on her own schedule.

"And who is _this_ handsome young man?"

He flushed a deep red, and now Astrid had to resist a bout of laughter. "Mom, this is Hiccup. He's a friend. _Just_ a friend," she clarified, because she knew where her mother's mind would go. "I met him in Berk, and, well, I thought I'd surprise you by bringing a friend!"

"Oh, how nice!" She turned to Hiccup and pulled him in a hug. He squeaked in surprise and Astrid smirked at his pained expression. "And you really _are_ a handsome young man, aren't you? Astrid, you may say you're only friends, but I say you're very foolish for friendzoning him! I certainly wouldn't!"

Hiccup's face looked like it was on fire. "Er...thank you, ma'am. And thank you for letting me stay."

" _And_ he's polite!"

"Er, Mom, I'll show him to a room if that's okay with you?" Without really waiting for an answer, she dragged him inside, hearing her mother cooing at Toothless. "You can let him out. Which reminds me - Stormfly!"

"Your dog?" he asked, putting the cage down and unlocking it. Toothless scrambled out right away.

Her sweet little border collie came rushing into the room and tackled her, licking her face and wagging her tail excitedly.

"Aw, girl, I missed you too!"

Stormfly stopped and then went over to Hiccup, nuzzling his foot. Astrid raised an eye. "Do you have dog food on you?"

"No. I'm just an animal person." He picked up Stormfly, and turned her over to scratch her belly. The dog fell limp in his hands. Astrid gaped.

"How did you do that? It took me _ages_ to figure out that trick!"

"I'm smart and you're not."

She punched his arm. He yelped and then set the dog down gently. She and Toothless carefully approached each other.

"They'll be fine," Astrid reassured, before grabbing his arm again and pulling him upstairs. "We've got three guest rooms. You can stay in this one - oh."

A familiar face stepped out of the room, and Astrid brightened. "Heather!"

"Astrid!"

The two girls embraced, and it took a while before she noticed Hiccup. "Oh, Heather, this is Hiccup, a friend from Berk. Hiccup, this is Heather. She's my best friend back here."

Hiccup offered an awkward wave, which Heather returned with a shy smile. She turned back to Astrid. "I'm so glad you're here! I've missed you!"

"And that's why you're here?"

"Yeah! Your mom told me you would be coming and offered for me to stay, and - well, Dagur's in jail again, so I figured I might as well. It's weird with just me and Dad in the house."

Astrid winced. Heather's brother was a certifiable maniac. She'd met him once; he was absolutely crazy and would often go to jail for drug dealing and many other things.

"C'mon, let's have some girl time!" She pulled on her hand. Astrid turned back to Hiccup, who was looking lost.

"Er, go down the hall, and then to the right! I'll catch up with you later!"

And so began the most horrible questioning of Astrid's life.

 **OH MY THOR GUYS MY LIFE IS SO CRAZY RIGHT NOW  
Guess who just applied for her first job? That's right, this girlllll. *points to self*  
Also the new pics and clips for RTTE are FREAKING ME OUT. I CAN'T. Even though I love Malla's design, and I feel like she's gonna be an ally.**


	9. Chapter 9

"So, you two are a thing, right?"

The girls had been playing soccer, which they both quite enjoyed, and Heather asked this right when Astrid had been about to make a perfect shot into "net" (they didn't actually have a net, so they used two large trees as their soccer goal). Instead of the perfect shot, Astrid kicked the ball ten feet away, where a squirrel, frightened, scurried up a tree.

" _What?_ No, just friends." She turned to her friend with a dark glare.

Heather fetched the soccer ball, and then shot it into the space between the trees. "Come _on._ I saw the way you were dragging him along - 'let me show you to your _room!'"_ she mocked in a horrible impression of her.

"I was not - I mean, he's a guest, so I was -"

"Astrid Hofferson is _head over heels_ for a boy! I don't believe it!"

" _Shut up!"_ Astrid hissed. "What if Mom hears you?"

Heather giggled. "Okay, give me all the details. Have you two fucked yet?"

Astrid looked at her in disbelief. It was times like these where you could see she really was Dagur's sister. Insanity ran in the family.

"We met two days ago! God, Heather!" Her face was quickly becoming red, as it had been quite frequently ever since she met the stupid boy they were talking about.

"Two days ago? I thought you said you were friends!"

"I was planning on telling you later." She sat down on the grass, Heather sitting beside her. "I mean, I can't tell Mom that I brought a stranger here that I barely know."

She told Heather what had happened, and as she did, Astrid realized she _did_ know a lot about Hiccup Haddock.

He was snarky and sarcastic. His cat was a sweetheart, and he was such an animal person, and he really would help anyone. He was clever. His parents' fame didn't go to his head. He had a prosthetic that he'd lost in a car accident. He liked - loved - the classic things. He was cheesy and sweet and -

He wasn't like other guys she'd met.

Astrid's heart hammered.

She excused herself from a confused Heather and made her way to the bathroom. She closed the door firmly and sunk down on the floor.

Oh gosh, she was running away from her feelings. _Feelings._ She had _feelings_ for Hiccup. Every single thing she listed about him, whether it was strength or flaw, she thought about _fondly._ Astrid _liked_ it. She liked _him._

* * *

Astrid's brother was very cool, as Hiccup learned when he was talking to him. His name was Arthur, and he was four years older than Astrid. He looked more or less like a male version of his sister, although he was much more calm.

He helped Hiccup find the room, because Astrid's directions had not helped much, and when he had put his stuff down, Arthur asked, "So, you and Astrid...are you guys...together?"

Hiccup's head shot up. Oh, he was _not_ having this conversation. "No, no. Just friends."

Arthur frowned. "Do you know if she's seeing somebody?"

She'd told him she was single. "No - I mean, yes. I know. She's not."

"Oh." He looked disappointed. "I would've thought she'd be more open by now. Hey, if you wanna date her, you have my blessing."

"Er...thank you?"

"No problem, dude. But you won't be thanking me. She can be a nightmare. But don't hurt her." He looked uncomfortable. "I don't really know how to give the overprotective big brother talk…"

Hiccup laughed. "That's fine. I, uh, don't really look forward to getting it."

There was a short silence, and then Arthur invited him down to have a late lunch, which Hiccup accepted, and then Arthur left.

The Haddock boy grimaced. At least now he knew that if he _did_ date Astrid, he wouldn't need to worry about her brother beating him up or something.

It wasn't that hard for him to see that he liked the blonde Hulk. But it was hard for him to see her liking him back.

Astrid came out of the bathroom that was across the hall. Seeing him, she walked over and leaned against the doorframe. "Are you coming down?"

"Yeah, your brother was just -"

She didn't let him finish, instead, her face broke out into a huge grin and she went down the stairs, yelling, "Arthur!"

"Heya, Hofferdaughter!"

"Oh, haha, so funny. Hoffer _son,_ Hoffer _duaghter._ Aren't you _hilarious."_

"I think so too."


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for not updating sooner, but Season 3 kinda emotionally killed me, so...** _ **ahem.**_ **Yeah.  
AND DO YOU SEE WHAT I WROTE ABOUT DAGUR IN THE LAST CHAPTER  
*cries***

"Sorry, sorry, but... _games?"_ Hiccup asked in disbelief.

"Games," Astrid confirmed, then nudged him lightly, "c'mon, it's Hofferson family tradition."

It had been two days since their arrival, and the wedding was tomorrow. Every free minute he had either spent with the blonde beauty, her brother, or helping out for when the bride and her family came. Which had been this morning.

"Who plays games before a wedding?"

"We do," said Astrid's father, coming up from behind looking at Hiccup with mock sternness. "Do you have a problem with it, rich boy?"

He gulped. "No, sir."

Astrid laughed as her father walked off to help set up, and Hiccup scowled at her. She noticed and laughed even more. "So, have you ever played Hitball before?"

"From my experience, most sports involve hitting a ball anyway."

She laughed again. She had been much more comfortable ever since she arrived home. He supposed it was natural; she was in her natural environment. Toothless mewled at his feet. "Oh, don't pretend you want my attention now, you little show off. You've been coddling up to everyone in the family. Heck, you met Arthur's bride-to-be today and you're sweeter to her than you ever were to me."

Astrid cooed at Toothless's obviously hurt face and picked him up, blowing a raspberry at him. "Oh, don't listen to the mean boy. You're just fine, aren't you? Oh yes you _are!"_ The cat gave Hiccup a pointed look and he stuck his tongue out at him.

A bark alerted them, and Hiccup smirked. Oh, two could play at that game, "Hey, Stormfly!" He picked the dog up scratching her under her chin. "Astrid's been neglecting you lately, hasn't she? I know, she's really mean."

Astrid placed Toothless down, took Stormfly from him, placed _her_ down, and then punched his arm. He glared at her before the animals stalked off to do who-knows-what.

"So what _is_ hitball?" he asked, getting back on topic.

"Oh!" She spun round, getting very excited. "So, you see those blocks there?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, so there's two teams. The teams try to hit the blocks with this ball, and alternate until one of them hits it. The team that hits it has to rebuild it. Both teams are standing an equal distance away from the blocks at the beginning," she added, when Hiccup opened his mouth. He nodded and shut it. "Now, while they're rebuilding it, the other team has to run for the ball, and then wherever they pick it up, they have to throw it from there, and hit one of the other team's players before they finish rebuilding."

He immediately became alarmed. " _Hit_ them?"

"Yes, don't look so scared. It's a seriously light ball. If the players finish rebuilding before someone gets hit, they win. If not, well...the other team wins."

"What _are_ the teams?"

"It's a battle royale," she declared dramatically, "boys versus girls. Heads up, you're on the boys team."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Hiccup, stop swearing at my sister and come here!"

The boy blushed at Arthur's words, not realizing he heard their conversation. Astrid smirked at him, poking him in the chest. "You didn't think you were gonna get special treatment, did you?"

"Of course not, that would be treason on your part."

"Oh, shut your mouth."

* * *

There were three people in a team each round. The very first round, Hiccup actually found he was actually confident. It was him, Arthur, and Gustav (who was the Hoffersons' kid neighbor, and was invited to play along) against Astrid, Heather, and Felicity, Arthur's fiance. The girls were going to rebuild the blocks, and the guys were going to try to hit them.

"Ready, Hiccup?"

"Yeah, sure, let's go with that."

The ball was alternated between the teams, until finally Astrid got her hands on it. Precisely, accurately, she aimed, and the blocks tumbled.

Hiccup ran, and then dived. The ball had been aimed perfectly, but it had not gone far. Arthur seemed surprised that he could still run that fast with a metal leg, but for now he shut him out. He snatched the ball. The girls had not yet finished rebuilding.

"C'mon, Hiccup, throw it!"

He raised his arm, but then stopped. Astrid was laughing, and her bangs were swaying in front of her face...and she just looked incredibly pretty. He hesitated. No matter how light the ball was, he didn't want to _hit_ her. And the other two women would be too tricky to hit from his position.

"Hiccup, what are you _doing?_ Throw it!"

The girls finished, cheering, and Arthur turned to Hiccup with a murderous glare.

That round ended with Hiccup's teammates turning on him, stealing the ball, and chasing him to hit him with it.

* * *

After a few more rounds, and a few other games, everyone decided to head to the nearby lake. It was a serene area, one that you didn't even have to swim in to enjoy yourself. So Astrid and Felicity sat as mostly everyone else jumped in to the water. They chatted and Astrid found herself warming up to her future sister-in-law when Arthur stepped out with a glare. Both looked at him curiously as he waltzed up to them.

"Fel, what are you doing?"

"Huh?"

"Look at that. What did you do?"

She stood up, obviously alarmed, and turned to see what he was pointing at when he picked her up and then jumped into the water. Felicity shrieked, and Astrid laughed a little as the couple started a water fight ("You loser, I'm still in my clothes!").

She noticed Hiccup gazing at them too, so when he stepped out of the water, a dark blush covered her cheeks and she backed up, alarmed, determinedly not looking at his bare chest. Or soaked hair. Or...whatever other stupid attractive features he had.

Hiccup glanced at her, and when he saw what she was doing, his own blush could rival hers. He shook his head frantically. "Don't - don't worry, just, ah, getting a towel."

He picked it up awkwardly, and Astrid resisted an urge to giggle as he walked away - _giggle?_ She wanted to fucking _giggle?_ Feeling or no feelings, that was unacceptable and she would not do it. Still, her blush did not let down, for now all she could imagine was her arms wrapped around that thin, firm torso as he picked her up and spun her in the water.

And as much as she tried to imagine beating him in a water fight instead, the image would not go away.

* * *

It started raining heavily while they were on the boardwalk. No one was worried, the wedding was to take place inside a fancy hall anyway, with lots of room for dancing and whatnot. But now it didn't matter that Astrid didn't swim - she got soaked.

The two families, including Heather, ran for a covered horse cart and hurriedly paid the man running it for two of the carts. Hiccup and Astrid both got into the back seat, and they watched as Felicity and Arthur stuck their heads out to get even _more_ wet. Astrid shook her head.

Heather sat right next to her, purposely _pushing_ her into Hiccup's chest, just like the train. She refused to look up at him.

Oh, well, today was just _full_ of reasons to blush, wasn't it?

 **Aaand take lots of innocent Hiccstrid flirting. Mostly without words. So…  
1.) At least it's a long chapter?  
2.) Do you ship Felicity and Arthur? (And if you do, give me a good ship name, I can't think of anything better than Arthicity. Is that good?)  
3.) Er...review? The wedding is **_**probably**_ **next. Wait, no, scratch that. There's something else first.**


	11. Chapter 11

It had been such a long time since she had had such a gratifying dinner. Except for the fact that Heather made _sure_ her and Hiccup sat next to each other (honestly, why did she even _care_?), Astrid had an enjoyable dinner. Her mother's cooking was extraordinary, unlike hers.

She was on the roof, while everyone else was getting ready to sleep. Berk had a great view, but Aurvandil _lit up_ at night, with the Northern lights, and it was an incredibly pretty thing to see.

A rustle from behind made her turn her head, and her cheeks colored when she saw Hiccup, who had not changed into his nightclothes, and was still wearing a T-shirt and pants. Astrid was in her nightgown.

But why was she _blushi_ \- well, she obviously liked him, but they were friends now, dammit, and she couldn't blush every time he was there!

So she determinedly avoided his gaze. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, Heather told me to come up here? Said you asked for me?"

She would brutally kill her best friend. With a knife. Multiple times. And she wouldn't regret it either.

"No, I didn't. That was just her -"

"Trying her hand at matchmaking?" he asked, sitting down next to her. "Playing Cupid?"

"Yeah." Thankfully it was dark, because her cheeks - no, her entire face - was feeling too warm. And now their arms were brushing. Just perfect. "Stupid, right?"

"I suppose." His voice sounded oddly different, as though he was nervous. She glanced at him.

"So, having fun?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely."

It hadn't been this awkward between them until earlier today. Usually they were laughing and teasing each other like they had known each other all their lives, but since Astrid _still_ couldn't get the sight of him in nothing but boxes out of her head, there was definitely something wrong.

"I talked to my dad today."

Astrid faced him completely, very much noticing how his green eyes looked even more striking in the moonlight. "And?"

"He's not very happy with me."

"Does he know?"

"About what?" he asked, perplexed. She waved her hand around, gesturing to the house. "Oh, about all _this?_ Nah, he doesn't. He thinks I'm still in Vegas."

Without really knowing what she was doing, she found his hand and squeezed it in a show of comfort. He grinned at her and heart skipped two beats.

"I'm sure you'll figure this whole thing out. Your parents will understand."

"Thanks, Astrid."

It was so _sincere_ , and _he_ was so _sweet._ Remembering back, Astrid snorted. "When we met, who would have thought this would happen?"

"I totally did."

She laughed and let her head fall on his shoulder. He leaned in to her touch, and the two stayed silent, looking up at the lights. Hiccup squeezed her hand again and they simultaneously looked at each other.

"Astrid?" he tried, gazing at her as though she was something special.

It would be so easy to kiss him. She _wanted_ to kiss him. She could _feel_ herself leaning in to kiss him. He looked so pretty in the moonlight, with his crystal green eyes boring into hers, and his hair being teased by the light wind.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" he continued. "You're really, really, beautiful."

A murmur of thanks passed through her mouth, but it was not enough. She wanted to thank him, _really thank him,_ for all he had done for her with no reward, even though she acted like a complete and utter jerk to him. And now he was here, presenting her with sweet little compliments, saying she was beautiful, and she wanted to melt. He was _so close._

" _Astrid!_ Oh, _there_ you are!"

Both of them almost leapt away from each other as Mrs. Hofferson came up, and by her surprised look, she had seen what they were doing. "Oh, I'm sorry, am I interr-"

"No," both of them said quickly and Astrid got up. Hiccup swallowed, and his Adam's apple bobbed ever so slightly. She tore her eyes away from him and walked to her mother. "I was just - we were just talking," she lied lamely, with no real reason. Her mother sent her a look as though she was apologizing, and this only increased Astrid's embarrassment.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Hiccup."

He nodded, looking extremely abashed, and she went down, not meeting anyone in the eye, not even when Heather eagerly asked her what happened.

Tomorrow. The wedding was tomorrow and then Hiccup would go back to Berk, while she stayed for a few more days. Nothing was going to happen between them.

Everything so far had been a mistake.


	12. Chapter 12

**I! I WANNA CRY! I CAN'T DENY!**

 **Also known as Lemo-frickin-nade Mouth's Determinate. That song is great. That** _ **movie**_ **is great.**

 **I'm having** _ **another**_ **Disney relapse, only this time it's with Disney** _**Channel**_ **movies (DCOM) instead of just Disney movies. Both have great songs though.**

 **WHAT TIME IS IT**

 **SUMMERTIME**

 **Okay I'll stop XD**

It started raining pretty heavily around 6 in the afternoon, and the wedding started at 7, since both Arthur and Felicity liked the idea of a night wedding and dancing till midnight. It _was_ romantic, Hiccup supposed, but he was too enamored in his own romantic feelings for Astrid Hofferson to care too much.

That sounded horrible. Arthur and Felicity were both great people and deserved to be happy together. He was just being negative because of the almost-kiss yesterday. Was that something to be upset about? He wished that it hadn't been night, because the moonlight and cool breeze tricked people into doing things they didn't want to, and he couldn't be sure Astrid actually wanted them. _Them._ He had to stop while he was ahead.

Astrid had not come downstairs yet; the family had hired two limos. The bride and groom, along with the parents, had already left. The second limo would consist of him, Astrid, Astrid's friend Heather, and Astrid's aunt and uncle.

He leaned against the wall, already thinking about how horrible it was going to be because he knew they were going to have to dance. Well, hopefully, no one would want to dance with him. On the other hand, the thought of dancing with Astrid, that _closeness,_ seemed to send his mind in a frenzy. He _could_ dance, his dad had put him in dozens of different classes. He just didn't _want to;_ he'd probably look stupid.

Heather came down, wearing a silver dress that hung from her shoulders to her knees. Trying to not seem too eager, Hiccup asked, "So, er, is Astrid ready?"

Heather smirked at him, and he tried hard not to blush at her knowing look. "She's dolling herself up for you."

"Fuck you, Heather!" came a voice from upstairs, and Heather raised an eye.

"Sure, but fuck Hiccup first!"

" _Heather!"_

The girl laughed and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Hiccup felt a bit mortified; too mortified to even make a smart remark back to her.

And then Astrid decided to come down and make him look more like an idiot. _Must...not...gape._

She was wearing a blue-green bedazzled top, along with a long skirt that flowed from her stomach all the way down, covering her feet. It seemed to be some kind of silky material. Her hair was done in a braid over her shoulder, with her bangs looking more...smooth and a small braid weaved in the middle.

Basically, she looked like a goddess and his not-gaping plan was not foolproof.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Way too much, right?"

He forced himself to speak. "No. No, you look great. _Really_ great. I mean, you look...wow."

Her cheeks became pink. "Thanks, Hiccup."

"Er...no problem."

There was a small silence and Astrid came forward, frowning. "Do you not know how to tie a tie?"

He looked down. "Ah - I can, I just think it's too formal -"

"We're going to a wedding, Watson." She came forward and started tying his loose tie quickly, nimble fingers weaving in and out. This did nothing to improve his embarrassed state, rather his face was burning again.

"Thanks," he muttered, avoiding her gaze. "Uh, shall we go?" He held out his arm in a joking manner, expecting her to punch his arm.

Astrid hesitated, then looped her arm with his. "Yeah, sure."

 _Someone_ was full of surprises.

* * *

"You may now...kiss the bride."

Everyone was cheering and it was deafening. Astrid didn't have many aunts, uncles, and cousins, she'd told him, but Felicity certainly did. Her family was _huge._ And they were a rambunctious bunch too.

After the bride and groom received everyone's thanks, the music began playing and people moved to dance.

Someone actually asked him to dance. He didn't know who it was, maybe someone from Felicity's side of the family, but he hastened to refuse. The girl looked hurt.

"I - uh - okay, I _guess…"_

"Oh, there you are!"

Astrid walked up to them, her eyes flashing dangerously. "You promised me a dance _, babe!"_ she said angrily, playing the role of the jealous girlfriend perfectly. She turned to the girl with a fake smile. "Is my boyfriend bothering you?"

The girl paled. "Oh, no, I just - he - I - never mind. I'll go."

As she scurried away, Astrid turned on _him._ "You're way too easily pushed over. She should know that no means no."

Before he could stop himself, he teased her, "She's not the only one who doesn't take no for an answer, Ms. Take-Me-Home-You-Made-Me-Miss-My-Train."

Astrid gave him an unimpressed look. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you _want_ to dance with her?"

"No. But I didn't wanna go to Aurvandil either."

Her glare grew deeper and deeper until Hiccup laughed. "Just teasing, milady. Relax."

"It wasn't funny," she grumbled, brushing her bangs out of her face. "In fact, I -"

"Do you wanna dance?"

The woman turned to him, her mouth agape. "What?"

He went on, having no idea where the confidence was coming from. Maybe it was because now he had an excuse to dance with Astrid _besides_ being strongly attracted to her. "Forgive me for upsetting you, milady. May you please grace me with a dance to...er...earn your forgiveness?"

She snorted. "Smooth, Haddock."

"I thought it was too," he replied, a stupid grin settling on his face. "So?"

"Sure, why not?" She shrugged and hauled him up from the chair he was sitting on, leading him to the floor where everyone was dancing. He didn't know the song, but it was slow enough for him to understand the lyrics.

 _It's like, he doesn't hear a word I say_

 _His mind is somewhere far...away_

 _And I don't know how to get there_

Hiccup, trying very hard _not_ to look like an idiot, placed his hand on her back at a respectful distance away from her waist. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and their free hands met.

I _t's like all he wants is to chill out_

 _(She's way too serious)_

 _Makes me wanna pull all my hair out_

 _(She's always in a rush and interrupting)_

And they danced. He didn't peg her for the type of person who enjoyed dancing, but he supposed she was thinking the exact same thing. He didn't seem like the type of person to dance either. But hey, _Stoick and Valka Haddock's son._ He'd been to a _lot_ of formal parties, whether with some client or a partner. Not that he danced much.

 _Like he doesn't even care_

 _(Like she doesn't even care)_

Was this a breakup song? It seemed like it. Why was it being played at a wedding? Did Felicity and Arthur have a sad fetish? Was he missing something? Should he stop with these inner questions and just focus on the way his hand fit so perfectly in Astrid's?

 _You, me_

 _We're face to face_

 _But we don't see eye to eye_

 _Talk about ironic,_ he thought as he briefly picked her up to spin her. Hiccup knew that if he didn't focus on the song, he'd focus on _her,_ and that might be embarrassing. Already, their eyes were connected and hers were lit up happily along with her lips, which had a small smile playing on them.

What did he have to the song again?

 _Like fire and rain (like fire and rain)_

 _You can drive me insane (You can drive me insane)_

 _But I can't stay mad at you for anything_

 _Oh._ So it wasn't a breakup song. It was a you-drive-me-crazy-but-I-love-you song. Was there a real name for those kind? And...and...he was quickly running out of things to complain about. He felt dizzy when Astrid laughed as she twirled, and he realized that he really did have it _bad._

 _We're Venus and Mars (Venus and Mars)_

 _We're like different stars (like different stars)_

 _But you're the harmony to every song I sing_

Astrid. Astrid, Astrid, Astrid. It shouldn't have been possible to be so smitten with someone that you met just a few days ago. But he couldn't _help_ it. She was fierce and smart and violent and headstrong and stubborn and he _really_ liked her. She kept up with his sarcasm, she spoiled Toothless, she saved him from girls he didn't want to dance with by pretending to be his girlfriend. And she was great. She was perfect.

 _And I wouldn't change a thing_

The song kept going but the pair stopped dancing, simply staring at each other. The rain outside could be heard. It was falling heavily.

"Pretty rough out there, right?"

"Yeah," she breathed, "doesn't seem to be letting up."

"Wanna go outside?"

"Thought you'd never ask, dork. _Yes."_

 **Cheesy? Yes, yes, yes, yes.**

 **And the song is Wouldn't Change a Thing by Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas from Camp Rock 2. I already told you guys I was having a Disney relapse. But seriously, listen to this song if you haven't. Coveys the mood perfectly.**


	13. Chapter 13

Astrid felt herself getting soaked, she just couldn't bring herself to _care_ too much. The happy-go-lucky feeling she had from dancing with Hiccup was lingering; she was enjoying herself. And it wasn't like her dress had any sentimental value. At least, not until now.

Hiccup looked up at the sky and closed his eyes, an expression of pure bliss upon his face as he got wet. She didn't particularly like or dislike rain, she was very neutral about it. But Hiccup seemed to love it. She smiled, watching him.

He looked at her, grinning. "What are you looking at?"

"You acting like a kid," she answered bluntly. The rain was falling so heavily they had to speak louder unless she came closer. He outstretched his hand, a twinkle in his eye that made her stomach flip.

"What?"

"C'mon, just trust me."

She sighed, and took his offered hand. He pulled her forward, and she felt her feet and heels soak in a puddle. "Hiccup!"

"What? You didn't seem to mind your dress being wet, so why are your shoes any different?"

"It's not my shoes," she protested, although she didn't step away from him, "but my feet are wet, and that's uncomfortable."

" _Astriiiiid,_ you're no _fun._."

"I'm _smart."_

" _Boring."_

" _Responsible."_

He pouted adorably and she laughed before flicking some water at him and telling him to man up. Hiccup responded by clutching her hands tightly and spinning her in the open rain. Bouts of laughter fell from her as they danced again, only this time without the music and much less stiffly.

She was having fun, more fun than she'd had in a long time. Hiccup Haddock was letting her have fun. All her worries just seemed to _go away_ when she was with him. And he didn't make her feel as though it pained _him_ to spend time with her. He looked like he was having fun too and that made everything more fun.

"Hey, Astrid?"

"Yeah?"

"There's a wedding going on inside," he remarked, cupping some water in his hands, only to drop it.

Oh, he was just _asking_ for it. "No _shit_ , Watson."

He laughed. "What I mean is, if there's a wedding going on inside, why are you out here with me?"

Her smart reply fell on her lips. Why _was_ she out here with him? There was an obvious answer. _You asked me._ But that wasn't what he was asking, she could tell. What he was asking was why she had said yes. Well, she could answer. There were plenty of excuses.

 _We're friends._

 _I was bored._

 _I like the rain._

 _Weddings are too mushy for me._

 _I like you._

No. No, that wasn't an excuse. That was the fucking _truth,_ and she refused to say it. Hiccup, noting her silence, turned to her with a soft look.

"Astrid?"

"I - I…" Eyes slightly panicky, they shifted up to him. What was she _panicking_ about? It had been a simple question, probably even a joke. "I don't know…"

"Hey, uh, you don't have to answer, if you don't want to." Oh great. He had noticed her panicking. What was she saying, of _course_ he had. You'd have to be an idiot not to notice it.

The boy held her hands in his as the rain thrummed all the more harder around them. "Astrid?"

She looked up at him, with his stupid green eyes and his stupid concerned look and just _him._ Everything was blurry and weird and it was raining and he looked handsome in his suit and tie. So her hands left his his, made their way up to his collar and pulled him towards her. Their lips crashed into each other.

This could _not_ be Hiccup's first kiss.

A fire burned in her stomach as he kissed back, his mouth moving in perfect sync with hers. It was so cheesy. They were _kissing in the rain._ She was wearing a dress, he was wearing a suit. They were outside a wedding. And the worst part was that _he_ hadn't initiated the cheesiness, _she_ had.

Whoever said that a passionate kiss was full of love, understanding, and slow tension was out of their mind. This was...this was just like getting electrified, with all the jolts passing through her body right now. But it was _amazing. He_ was amazing.

With a gasp, she pulled back for air. They stared intently at each other.

"I always shipped Johnlock anyway," he murmured and leaned in to kiss her again.

 **Smooth af, Hiccup.**

 **Sooooo? Was that satisfying? I mean, y'know...that was what everyone was waiting for, right?**


	14. Chapter 14

Hiccup's mind was in a frenzy.

Even after him and Astrid had went back into the hall (after kissing for a good few minutes, mind you), they didn't say anything to each other. Now, an _almost kiss_ he could excuse, but _that_ was not an almost kiss. _That_ , he thought proudly, was a _real_ kiss. As in, their lips had touched. And moved. And...other kissing things.

So why was Astrid so quiet?

He had a train to catch in the morning, but she lived in Berk too. They _could_...date, and...date. Not having had a girlfriend before, Hiccup was utterly lost. But he still wanted to _ask_ her, at least. That was really hard, though, when she seemed to be _avoiding_ him.

The wedding went well into midnight, and by that time he was seriously tired. When they went back to Astrid's house, he barely reached the bed before passing out, all thoughts of asking Astrid out, or doing _anything_ , really, crossed fro his mind. Sleep was wonderful and a necessity of life.

The morning was a different story. He was getting his suitcase ready, but thought he could spare a moment to go to Astrid's room.

She was sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard, eyes closed. For two seconds, he simply admired her, before softly knocking on the open door. "Can I come in?"

Astrid opened her eyes as a small smile passed through her face. "Yeah."

"Are you okay?" he asked, sitting down on the feet of her bed. She sat up and scooted closer; their shoulders were almost touching.

"Just tired."

"Me too."

She grinned before turning serious and she sighed. "Hiccup, about last night -"

"Was it...bad?" He sounded like an insecure little boy. _Was it bad_? What kind of stupid question was _that?_

"No!" Astrid immediately replied, her eyes widening. "No, Hiccup, I loved it."

Well, that was _one_ insecurity soothed. Unless she was lying to spare his feelings. But as he'd gotten to know Astrid Hofferson, he'd learned that she wasn't the _type_ to lie just so someone wouldn't feel bad.

"Then why were you...avoiding me?"

She looked the other way. "It's just...Hiccup, I feel bad. I feel _horrible."_

"Are you sick?"

A bubble of laughter escaped her. "No. That's not what I meant." She turned to him, breathing in and out quietly. "What I meant was...you...I've been horrible to you.

"You did nothing to deserve how I treated you when we first met. There were these jerks...never mind. I'm not trying to excuse anything. But I'm sorry, Hiccup. I yelled at you and...and I made you miss your vacation, and, and -" She wrung her hands frantically. "You can do way better."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Hiccup took her hands and placed them down. No _way_ did a girl think _she_ was too good for _him._ No sir, after finally getting someone to like him, he was _not_ letting her go that easy. "It's not like I did something to make you particularly _like_ me. I acted like an idiot on that train. And I _wanted_ to help -"

"Because I forced you!"

"No, because…" He shook his head. "Look, it doesn't matter. You've made it up to me."

" _How?"_ Astrid crossed her arms. "Letting you stay? That's not _making it up,_ Hiccup, that's repaying my debt!"

"I called my mom yesterday."

Her head snapped up. "What?"

"Before the wedding. I called her and I talked to her. And I didn't feel stressed, Astrid, or, pressured. I told her how I felt, and she responded in kind. And we're good now. Thanks to _you."_

"What does this have to do with me?"

He laughed and held her hands up. "Ast, just two days ago you told me to stop being a wuss."

She blushed. "Yeah, but -"

"And I knew _you_ would never hide from your problems."

"You don't know -"

"Astrid, I have to _thank_ you. Because if I hadn't met you, I would probably be in Vegas right now, drinking away my problems with Toothless."

"Don't sell yourself short," she mumbled, but her cheeks were turning redder and an appreciative grin was settling in her features. She looked up and breathed deeply. "No matter what I've done, I'm _sorry,_ Hic. I'm sorry for being rude and...and forcing you to come with me."

"I'm sorry for being a dick."

She laughed and buried her face in his shoulder. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her back. "So...I know this is kinda stupid to ask, but will you...go...out…"

"Oh my gosh, Hiccup, you're hopeless. Will you go out with me?"

"Yes," he squeaked.

" _That's_ how you do it."

And then she kissed him.

It was very weird. He would never have guessed that they were so compatible. If there first meeting was any indication, that is.

Life has a weird way of bring two people together. It was like an adventure. Not the Cinderella type, no, their story was more like Indiana Jones or something. Oh, they could watch Indiana Jones on a movie night date or something. Or The Matrix. Or -

The point was that when life gave you lemons, usually it squeezed them in your eyes before you could actually make lemonade. And even then the lemonade might not have enough sugar. Speaking in metaphors was confusing.

Him and Astrid had met at crossroads, literally. And they were nowhere near the end of the train ride.

But they were riding in the same direction now. And at the end of the day, that was what really mattered.

(No shit, Watson.)

(Don't interrupt my narration.)

 **AAAAAAAND END! I actually had a load of more drama planned out when I started, where Astrid rejects him because she feels horrible, but that path would have been cliche, OOC, awful. Not that this isn't cliche.**

 **But this is my first more-than-two-chapters-original-story-that-I-actually-finished! WHOOP WHOOP!**


End file.
